Money

Money is a wonderful construct created by humans. As with anything human, it has its own fallacies and capitalism is bringing out more each day.

I believe that to ensure that any human design is flawless it needs to resemble the way nature tackles the same problem. E.g. if animals feel cold they migrate, whereas humans build houses and kill other animals for clothing. Now if only we could find out what polar bear's skin is made of, replicate the chemical composition and create something, that'd not only be bio degradable but more aligned with nature.

By this yardstick construct of money is obviously flawed chiefly because it makes you think you or your skill is worth more or less than other person's skill. If we have to align with nature, a tree is as much important or not to nature as is a creeper. Also, given the circumstances even a tree or creeper adapts and survives. Same is true of animals. Humans on the contrary need to feel important. Somehow we have linked survival instincts with ego. Ego leads to thinking of self-worth and that leads to invention of money and its distribution. Of course, since ego is a feeling so it can be said that people born with more ego are the ones who are highly insecure about their chances of survival in the world. Ergo, people needing/wanting/desiring more money inherently afraid of life itself.

Nature's focus is primarily to get you to do what you are born to do. Everything else is noise. Money or no money, you are born to do something. Because money is linked to a feeling, make that feeling of self worth strong by doing what you are born to do. Once this linkage is strong, ego need not come to play and money still falls into place.

professionalism

The definitions are changing and right in front of my eyes - a guy who completes 10 yrs in professional life.

• It started with looking like an executive meaning the entire drill of suit/coat/tie, then went to dressing "smart" and now in my office people wear jeans all the time.
• It started with having a desktop, then having a laptop, then having a data card and now if there is no need, my team "assumes" that they will be working from home/guest house/hotel/wherever
• It started with having strict rules of using internet and while porn is still a no-no, everyone realizes that social networking is a force to reckon with

It is time to accept that there are no 2 identities of a person - one that works and one that enjoys a personal life. The boundaries are falling, which means a single identity, that much less complexity and that much less hypocrisy.

Companies that are embracing this change are going ahead full force and why not. While every type of person is accepted, work is paramount and the more it is aligned to your personality, the satisfied you are with your job. Less HR work and obviously less frustrations. Plus company benefits from your individuality.

For an organization there are many challenges - right from HR policies to Systems management. But the simplification starts at leadership. If work becomes paramount and people themselves self select for a job, life becomes that much easier.

an emotional angle

Emotions are an essential part of being human. We feel good, bad, sad, angry, happy, awesome and so on. Never ever I thought that I would feel something so good, so great, so awesome and yet it does bring a sense of content.

Love may be the most talked about, exploited, marketed and abused word in the world, but as an emotion you cannot beat it. I am away from the family for close to 10 years now. I am away from my home for 4 days now. The pull is so strong at times that whenever I see, or hear anything about "staying away", the heart starts another song. Its like a melody only I can feel.

To quote my favorite ghazal:
"Kahan maykhane ka darwaza ghalib, aur kahan waayiz,
Bas itna jaante hain kal wo jaata tha ke hum nikale"

The levels at which Ghalib sensed love can only be known if you feel that kind of love every second of every hour of every day of your life.

Action has reaction..

Action has equal and opposite reaction. So true and yet so unbelievably undermined, ignored and most often forgotten principle.

If you believe in something, you choose to believe in it. A main factor in that choice is the feeling that choice gives you. Satisfaction, joy, happiness and at times deeper emotions, like love, trust. In short your choices of believing (or not believing) lead you to feel better about yourself, at least for the moment, or at most your entire life.

Guilt is one of the primary factors that makes us take those choices. Right from the day you were born the guilt just starts to enter your life. First the upbringing, then your own guiding thoughts ensure that if there is something making you take a choice, guilt has a lion's share in that decision making.

Guilt's cousin is anger. They don't have to go hand in hand, yet they do. Ever seen parents controlling their kids by means of beating them up? Yup, that's anger stemming from guilt.

Now if you believe in choices, you will always be guilty because you think you made those choices.

Love, the all pervasive feeling, the attraction, the passion and the care, the feeling that cannot be defined by words at times, very ironically doesn't need a choice. Its right there. Ever seen a kid making sand castle, sunrise, sea, birds, flowers. See there is no choice to be made. Your senses are already spellbound. The feeling is out of this world and yet it seems to be emerging from somewhere within us.

So the only choice you have to make is are you going to act or feel? Remember, the choice you make is also an act and every action has....